Plan a Visit

World Peace Heritage in Putnam

Chuang Yen Monastery (CYM), in the Town of Kent, Putnam County, New York State, is home to the largest indoor statue of Buddha in the western hemisphere.

The name of “Chuang Yen”, means “Majestically Adorned”. Embodying that name, the pristine and beautiful grounds of CYM, laid out by the renowned architect, I.M. Pei, is inviting to the public and the ideal place to provide inspiration and cultivate awareness to develop wisdom. Through the indefatigable efforts of all those involved, project after project was successfully implemented in spite of difficulties. On May 23, 1981, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the first building, Kuan Yin Hall. The other buildings that comprise of the monastery were added over the years: the Dining Hall, the Thousand Lotus Memorial Terrace, the Tai Hsu Hall, the Yin Kuang Hall, the Woo Ju Memorial Library and the Great Buddha Hall.

The Kuan Yin Hall was completed in 1985. The exterior of this structure was built in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. Inside the hall, enclosed in a wooden shrine designed by one of the leading contemporary sculptors, Professor Yinfeng Yang, is a colored porcelain statue of the Kuan Yin Pusa. Near it is a wooden statue of Kuan Yin Pusa, dating back from the Tang Dynasty, in a graceful seated position with a facial expression of great serenity. Kuan Yin Pusa is the Bodhisattva of Compassion, one of the most celebrated Bodhisattva in the Buddhist world. Every year, it receives many visitors and retreatants to pray and practice for compassion and wisdom.

The Great Buddha Hall has a design similar to that of Kuan Yin Hall with a spacious, unobstructed interior that reflects the spirit of CYM. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 15, 1989 when Dalai Lama the 14^th was invited to preside over the ceremony right after he won the Noble Prize. After several years of careful planning and hard work, with support from countless people of faith around the world, the Grand Opening of this spiritual extravaganza in May of 1997 demonstrated the plea and prayer for world peace in contrast to confrontation, violence and war.

While the monastic complex is one way to bring the significance of world peace, another way is through collection and dissemination of information. For this purpose, Dr. Shen erected Woo Ju Memorial Library (named in memory of the late Mrs. Shen), once the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religion, in 1991. Now it is the main channel to provide educational resources to carry on the effort to promote the study and practice of Buddhism.

Plan a Day Visit

Monastery opens 10 am to 3 pm everyday from April 1^st to Jan 1^st.  Lunch is served (a vegetarian meal, also a contribution from volunteers) from 12 noon to 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Gift Shop, located at the back of the Great Buddha Hall, has variety of Buddhist souvenirs of your choice. Quite your mind by the Zen Garden and the Seven Jewel Lake is another option.

During the regular opening hours, visitors are welcome to pay respect to the Great Buddha, and the Kuan Yin Bodhisattva. Please take off your shoes, enter the hall, and rejuvenate yourself with a quiet moment. However, while monastery holds longer retreats, one of the halls will be closed.

On your way out, you can stop by the library and immerse yourself in Buddhist literature. If you don’t know much about Buddhist literature, and wish to get a glimpse of it, please feel free to ask the librarian or volunteers to give you guidance.

Also, a few ground rules while you are visiting the monastery:

1. Please bring only vegetarian food products to the monastery. This means no meat, fish or eggs.
2. There is NO smoking or drinking alcohol anywhere on the premises of the monastery.
3. DO NOT harm or pick any flower, plant or vegetable, or feed or disturb any animal or fish on the premises.
4. Drive slower than 15 mph once you enter the gate of the monastery. When guests drive over the speed limit on the grounds they cause harm to small animals, especially during the springtime.
5. Please park only at the designated parking lot.
6. Please wear proper attire: No Costumes, tank tops, or mini skirts. No filming or video allowed. Please be respectful.
7. The lunch service in the monastery is provided by volunteers who use their weekends to come to cook and serve lunch for everyone. Everything we have at the monastery is made possible by donations from the public. Please cherish the food we serve, and take only the amount that you will actually consume. A donation of $7 per person to show gratitude.
8. While you are here, please don’t allow your children running around or make loud noise to disturb other visitors, and do not play the sacred instruments in the halls which use only for the ceremonies.
9. No Drones allowed.
10. No filming allowed. A formal request must be made in writing via email. No verbal permission will be granted.

If you have any other concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Wish you a happy visit.

The temple only opens for public for the scheduled programs.

1/29/2017 (Sunday)
Chinese Lunar New Year Blessing Ceremony 10:00am 新春祈福法會
2/17-19/2017 (Friday to Sunday)
Mindfulness of Breathing 安般念靜心觀
3/11/2017 (Saturday)
Kuan-Yin Bodhisattva’s Birthday Ceremony 10:00am 觀音菩薩聖誕紀念法會
4/1/2017 (Saturday)
QinMing Ceremony 10:00am 清明法會
5/13/2017（Saturday）
Buddha Day Ceremony 10:00am 浴佛法會
7/8/2017 (Saturday)
Kuan-Yin Bodhisattva’s Enlightenment Ceremony 10:00am to 12:00pm 觀音菩薩成道紀念法會
8/26/2017 (Saturday)
The Ullambana Ceremony 10:00am to 12:00pm 盂蘭盆供佛齋僧法會
11/4/2017 (Saturday)
Kuan-Yin Bodhisattva’s Renunciation Ceremony 10:00am to 12:00pm 觀音菩薩出家紀念法會
11/10-12/2017 (Fri to Sun)
Mindfulness of Breathing 安般念靜心觀
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Regular Gatherings:
• Tuesday Evening Mediation: Every Tuesday from 7:00pm to 8:30pm
禪修班: 每星期二晚上七點至八點三十分

• Monday Evening Kung Fu: Every Monday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
功夫班: 每星期一晚上六點至八點

• Buddhism Sutra Study, from 10 a.m.-11:30 am of the second and forth Saturdays of each month 讀經班：每星期六早上十點至十一點半
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If you are interested to visit the temple, Please contact us ahead of time to schedule an appointment.

Temple of enlightenment
3070 Albany Crescent, Bronx, NY 10463
Tel:(718) 884-9111
Fax: (718)884-7894
Email: toe@baus.org